AUSTIN, Texas By the slimmest of margins, Tyler Goetzman of Willis is Texas newest junior state record holder for largemouth bass.

Goetzman's 13.06-pounder caught on Lake Conroe Jan. 13 eclipses a 13.00-pound largemouth taken by Kenny Schuette on Lake Alan Henry in June 2005.

The 15-year-old was fishing a tournament when the big bass took a Rat-L-Trap in six feet of water. The fish was 24 inches long and 20.25 inches in girth. By comparison, Schuette's fish measured nearly two inches longer.

The big bass is also a new junior lake record for Lake Conroe.

Goetzman donated his record catch to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department's Budweiser ShareLunker program. This is only the fourth time in the ShareLunker program's 21-year history that the season's first entry came in January.

Lake Conroe has now produced 12 ShareLunkers and ranks fourth in the number of entries from public waters, behind Lake Fork, Lake Alan Henry and Sam Rayburn Reservoir. Goetzman's fish is number 442 in the list of ShareLunker entries.

News Source: Texas PWD - Jan. 22, 2008